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Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir was an excavator living in Cairo, Egypt and a friend to Indiana Jones, famous archaeologist. Jones had called him the best digger in Egypt as well as his good friend, and heavily relied on Sallah on many different occasions. Sallah was married to Fayah el-Kahir, and the two had nine children including Moshti and Jasmine el-Kahir. Sallah and his family were well known in Egypt as being welcoming and helpful, and had connections with many useful individuals including Captain Simon Katanga, the mystical Imam, and Sallah's brother Omar. Sallah first met Indiana Jones in 1913, and ended up accompanying the latter on several adventures. The most notable of these adventures was the search for the Lost Ark of the Covenent, during which Sallah was hired by a group of Nazis who were also looking for the artifact. He helped Indy as best he could whilst also keeping up cover as a digger, and eventually he and Indy recovered the Ark. He later joined in Indy's quest for the Holy Grail, along with the museum curator Marcus Brody and Indy's own father, Henry Jones Senior. Sallah was sent by Jones to retrieve Marcus in Iskendurem, but inadvertently lost Brody to the Nazis. He later met up with Jones once more after the latter, along with his father, escaped the Germans, and they set out to rescue Marcus and retrieve the Grail. The group eventually triumphed over the Nazis, regaining both Marcus and the Holy Grail before riding off into the sunset on horseback. Sallah was still opposing the Nazis by the 1950s, according to his good friend the Imam. Personality and traits Sallah was a very friendly and well-informed man. He was handy, smart and, above all, charming. Sallah was an entertainer, always having an interesting story to tell or helpful advice to give. Sallah was likeable and charming in everything he did, and was loyal to his friends. A well-informed man, he also had many connections which made many turn to him for help. Sallah was a family man, with a wife and nine children who he stayed loyal to under all circumstances. He was also a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan. Sallah had a bright sense of humor, as shown when he made fun of Indy after finding out the latter was named after his childhood dog. However, Sallah was serious when it was required, as shown after Marion's supposed death and after Henry Sr. was shot by Donovan. Relationships Indiana Jones Sallah had a friendly relationship with Indiana Jones. Sallah was the latter's number one contact for expeditions, adventures or even just a place to stay after a long journey. On several occasions Indy had thought of starting his own large family like Sallah but never fully carried out the idea. Equipment and skills Sallah was known as the best digger in Egypt, and lived up to this title. He was great at what he did, even being hired by the Nazi party who were searching for the Ark of the Covenant in Cairo. Sallah was able to handle a revolver, using one during the search for the Holy Grail. He also used a machine gun in the Temple of the Grail. Sallah was a skilled horse rider as well as a camel rider, though his excessive use of camels often annoyed Indiana Jones. Behind the scenes Sallah first appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which he was portrayed by John Rhys-Davies. Rhys-Davies reprised his role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and in video and audio footage for the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. He also helped promote the ride in The Making of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, along with Karen Allen, who portrayed Marion Ravenwood. Danny DeVito was the initial choice for playing the role of Sallah in director Steven Spielberg's mind, however DeVito was unable to play the role as he had TV commitments. Kevork Malikyan also auditioned for the role, but was unable to as he arrived four hours late due to traffic. Malikyan did, however, go on to portray Kazim in The Last Crusade. After seeing Rhys-Davies in the miniseries Shogun as Vasco Rodrigues, Spielberg adjusted the part for him. The new Sallah was designed to be a cross between Rodrigues and Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. Although Sallah made no appearance in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, a picture of him can be seen in Indy's home. Davies was offered a cameo role as Sallah in the film, but did not accept as he felt that it was too small and dismissive of his character. Davies had, however, later stated that he was never given an opportunity to return. Sallah appeared in LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, in which he appears in two different versions; Sallah (Desert Disguise) and Sallah (Fez), both of which also appeared in the game's sequel, LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. Another version was designed, named Sallah (Suit), based on his Cairo outfit, however it was cut from the final version. Appearances * Young Indiana Jones and the Tomb of Terror * Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone * Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx * Indiana Jones Adventure World * Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye * Raiders of the Lost Ark novel * Raiders of the Lost Ark * Raiders of the Lost Ark comic * Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark junior novel * Indiana Jones' greatest adventures * The Gold Goddess: Xomec's Raiders * The Sea Butchers * Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade * The Last Crusade novel * The Last Crusade comic * The Last Crusade 1989 junior novel * The Last Crusade 2008 junior novel * Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Mount Sinai * Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny * Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Non-canonical appearances * LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures * LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues